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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29925267">Waiting</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellow_wallpaper_replacement/pseuds/yellow_wallpaper_replacement'>yellow_wallpaper_replacement</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A bit of repression as a treat, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Yearning, but not really, romantic first time, slow burn kinda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:34:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,627</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29925267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellow_wallpaper_replacement/pseuds/yellow_wallpaper_replacement</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>February has a lot of nerve, being as cold as it is. For the lonely, it’s almost like being kicked while already down. It’s only natural for you to not want your lover to spend this time of the year alone. For Rantaro, who would be away from his boyfriend for months at a time, it was impossible to not be there at this cold time of year. After all, ropes of velvet are always the warmest kind.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amami Rantaro/Saihara Shuichi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Waiting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is just a little projection fic for a ship I like. I did not proofread this. I’m really sorry about that.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was always something odd about February love. By then, loving your family had already had its turn. Being smothered in gifts, and food, and hugs and kisses from people whose names you forget in an instant. That type of love was appropriately warm and enveloping, given the season. Or at least it was supposed to be. You could be one of those people who preferred to shut themselves away from the obligation to love and be loved by those who are supposed to treasure you. If so then you know who you are. Of course it’s never just out of stubbornness. Any number of reasons to want to stay away from your family could breed this kind of person. Some people might not even be able to choose to be lonely in a fashion like this out of pure circumstance. Even so, custom follows that from birth we have this blood red rope of flesh coming from our veins that ties us to those we must love. </p><p>That was November, December, January love. Indecisive but stubborn, closely intimate but lacking in passion. That’s what we have to find elsewhere. A type of love like friendship was given no season. It was the kind of thing you enjoyed day in and day out, blending it so seamlessly into you that you take it for granted. That’s what made February love so odd. It is supposed to be the most intimate kind of love out there. Rather than insulating you as an encompassing mass from the outside, it was supposed to warm you from the inside. Maybe that’s why a month of love can remain cold when dedicated to a love so hard to find. It doesn’t take a lot to warm oneself from the outside, but it takes pain, trial and error, time, and finding someone who truly treasures you from the deepest part of your body cavity to the air that surrounds you. This rope isn’t made of flesh and blood, or a luminous gold silk. It’s soft, dense crimson red velvet. The kind of rope that ignores pleasantries and ties hearts directly. Despite it being mere fabric, the pain that is shared is always the deepest kind.</p><p>Some kind of pessimist would never think they would find this kind of person to foster this kind of connection. Even if they do, they never realize it, often because of fear and apprehension. It’s not a simple fear and it’s far from easy to overcome, but it is wholly understandable. There’s a certain kind of comfort in accepting a fear that makes you blind to the things in front of you. Much to his own dismay, Shuichi Saihara was exactly this kind of guy.</p><p>Fresh out of the academy and already on the way to getting work as a detective. That’s often the kind of life Ultimate students would lead. That is, unless, they decided to throw everything away post graduation, either out of exhaustion, or wanting to return to normalcy, or a particular combination of gutsiness and stupidity that leads people to completely decimate their own credibility. Shuichi thought that nobody had it easier than him right now but- perhaps deep down- he felt they were probably doing much better than he was at the moment. But it wasn’t like he could just stop. He’d spent years upon years to study and perfect this exact thing. Not only would he feel cheated if that was the case, he also felt like he had no other trajectories besides this. Graduating felt a little bittersweet, what with him not having experienced the “normal high school life.”<br/>Through a combination of his own fears and the sort of relative isolation that was par for the course of attending Ultimate Academy, Shuichi felt stunted. Emotionally, relationship wise… Although for the latter he finally did find a bit of resolution. Shuichi had many a crush on his classmates- after all, when you spend enough time around that small of a group of people, you’re bound to fall in love at least once… right?</p><p>Come graduation, the students had a party as is customary- the academy always made strange attempts at feeling like a normal school. After the small party was over, they all returned to their dorms at varying times. Some were on the brink of passing out, some took a last little walk around the academy while it was bathed in moonlight, and two in particular took an extra long last little walk around the school while they could. This was Shuichi and his close friend Rantaro Amami. Their relationship started out… odd so to say. Rantaro wasn’t really one to divulge things about his life and had a penchant for teasing people. Perhaps it’s from him being brotherly to people. Even so, after breaking down his walls for someone that still stuck. I suppose old habits die hard, thought Shuichi. After a while they became really close. Shuichi would confide in him, and likewise Rantaro would confide in Shuichi. Rantaro painted his nails, and sometimes poke him in the face, saying he was too pretty to always have that hat on. It was always the little things. </p><p>During that walk they reminisced about little moments, anecdotes and the like. Cracking jokes, talking about their future prospects, covered by a thin mist of alcohol. The drinks had most certainly been spiked by someone (can’t imagine who). It was enough to make them feel woozy and to make their faces light up ever so slightly. Others hadn’t been so lucky as to have drank as little as them, though. At least two people would most definitely be feeling the consequences of their actions in the morning. </p><p>With enough drink in them to numb their minds a little, they just talked on and on, walking in circles at one point. The topic fell on relationships. Rantaro often talked about finding his long lost sisters. Shuichi comforted him many times for this, despite not being able to relate. Rantaro didn’t like abandoning connections with people. So, of course, losing a connection of flesh and blood, the most literal and immediate kind of connection had to have been hard. </p><p>Eventually, they started talking about romance, and that specific kind of love. Neither of them were brave enough to confess to their crushes in the past. Rantaro looked confident and smooth, but that wasn’t the case when it came to this. He’d get embarrassed when talking about it. Seeing him fumble over his words was admittedly very cute.</p><p>...So it came as a surprise to Shuichi when at one point, God knows when, Rantaro straightforwardly blurts out: “Y’know… I’ve liked you… for a while. I still like you! I think… now more than ever. After we get out of here I… I wanna be with you. Live with you.”</p><p>He reached for Shuichi’s hand and looked deep into his eyes. </p><p>Needless to say… Shuichi’s mouth couldn’t say a word. His brain was in shambles, as if at that moment it was being stirred by a ladle. A myriad of thoughts flashed in and out of focus. Is he just drunk? Why… what?? Live with me???</p><p>“I’m really serious!! I’m not joking around this time and… and you don’t have to tell me right away! H-Have a good night.” Rantaro let go of Shuichi’s hand and walked over to the dorm building a little bit in front of where they were. </p><p>Shuichi lingered for a while. His brain was thoroughly scrambled. He had feelings for Rantaro. It was his nature to not express them, however. For Shuichi, it was never the right time to say something but… now the time came. He’d thought about them not seeing each other again after graduation, so he figured there was no point. They would’ve gone down separate paths but… now the opportunity presented itself. </p><p>Turns out, Shuichi did use whatever little ounce of courage he had in his body. The next day, the day they were all supposed to leave, Shuichi knocked on Rantaro’s door. When he answered by opening it, Shuichi went to hug him tightly. In case his sentiment wasn’t clear, he also gave Rantaro a small peck on the cheek. This brought a smile to Rantaro’s face. It was very cute to see Shuichi express himself like this. Even so, he understood the meaning behind his actions and felt very fulfilled. He hugged him back, slightly lifting him off his feet. He would’ve gone in for a kiss, but their moment was interrupted by an announcement calling for them to pack swiftly and leave.</p><p>About a year and a couple months have passed since then. It’s now February. Rantaro kept his promise about living with Shuichi. They managed to find an apartment in the city and their entry into the workforce went about smoothly. Shuichi did detective work while Rantaro, ever the adventurer, spent his time traveling and writing books about it. He found his niche posting his tredges through nature online as well. However, this all necessitated that he leave Shuichi alone, often for weeks at a time. This was manageable, but quickly became a bit of a problem.</p><p>They had no desire to distrust each other but… both of them would grow quite restless. Constantly yearning and missing each other day in and day out. When Rantaro would be home, he would try to make the most of it, as would Shuichi. They went on extravagant dinner dates and would tell each other how much they missed the other. It really got Shuichi to start to really communicate effectively, even if just a bit. That’s the one positive thing that could be said about their situation. However, even at this stage in their relationship, with respect to physical intimacy… they hadn’t been progressing at all.</p><p>And who could blame them? Sex is a scary, scary thing. Especially for people who’ve never and wanted things to go “right.” It’s not like Shuichi didn’t know about sex. He’d seen his fair share during um… research, so much so that he had a rough idea of what he would and wouldn’t like. It’s just that putting those thoughts into words or manifesting them through actions is a lot easier said than done. His lover being away a lot wasn’t helping. There was a constant undercurrent of frustration when he pined and yearned to be held and kissed the way he liked, along with sadness and slight feeling of inadequacy. </p><p>On the other hand, Rantaro was also very apprehensive. He would usually try to initiate but not much would come from it. They only got to kissing each other after a whole 2 months of being together. Even so he was determined, and eager to please. He steeled his resolve and made a plan for February.</p><p>When he returned, Valentine’s day had already passed. The month was as cold as ever. The ones that were lucky to have that sweet taste of love were warmed by each other, and those unlucky would have to grit their teeth and bear the cold for a little longer. When Rantaro told Shuichi when he would be coming, he knew what his intention was. He made all the correct preparations to receive his lover in his apartment. Turning the internal heating on just right, cleaning the kitchen, the dining room, the bedroom, everything from the bookshelves to the pipes. This wasn’t the first time he went to such lengths. It wasn’t rare for him to receive Rantaro back home with a certain expectation in mind. Although, nothing ever came of it of course. It takes a lot more than expecting something for it to actually happen. He was so caught up with it that, by the time it was evening, he realized he forgot to get something to eat. He couldn’t make an impromptu delivery either since Rantaro was going to arrive any second and-</p><p>*ring*ring*</p><p>The sound of the doorbell. Shuichi tensed up for a second and went to answer it immediately. Rantaro had a key, but Shuichi was eager to show him in. As the door opened, they both bore pleasant smiles. Mere seconds after setting foot in the apartment, Rantaro set down his bags and lifted Shuichi off the ground in a hug, as if he could not wait a single moment to hold him close. He went in for a kiss. </p><p>This was their little routine for when Rantaro would come back. He’d act like a soldier coming back from war- except the stories he had to tell were much happier. The frequent periods of distance between them also seemed to make him more clingy. Rantaro would dote on Shuichi, which was admittedly a bit embarrassing for him. He’d always been kind of a cheesy person with his friends but now he could be extra corny with Shuichi. Always smothering him in gifts, hugs, and compliments that’d leave Shuichi stammering over his words. His reaction always delighted Rantaro. It was funny to him how he couldn’t take compliments. Even so, regardless of how flustered he got, it made Shuichi happy. Although… he did wish he’d tone it down just a notch at times. </p><p>That was their velvet rope. It didn’t look very different from their days of being close buddies at the Academy, and silently crushing on each other. That little rope had been there for a long time. Now they were able to be honest about it with each other. </p><p>Last time he had returned after a period of distance, Shuichi did all of this too- problem was, he had gotten sick. Coupled with a more intense than usual jetlag and well… their quality time was now looking more like the scene of a nurse caring for someone who was too weak to move at the hospital. In the days following that the courage Shuichi had built up for the day before had run out.</p><p>This time it was different. Rantaro was as healthy as ever, nothing was going wrong. Shuichi did feel sorry for not having any food ready, but they could always leave that for later. After exchanging the kind of sweet sappy words you can only utter when you know you’re alone, Rantaro entered the bathroom.</p><p>Then ensued what seemed to be the longest fifteen minutes of Shuichi’s life. He walked back and forth, twiddling his thumbs, adjusting things in his room randomly just to keep his mind and body occupied and quell his nerves. It was doubtful as to whether that was actually working. He did double checks and triple checks on his memory just to see if he had forgotten anything. He wasn’t even sure what happened barely 3 hours ago actually took place. </p><p>He heard the door of the bathroom creak. Rantaro was in his sleepwear, hair still a little damp. He always took his clothes with him to the bathroom, but even so Shuichi was half hoping to get a facefull of his boyfriend’s body post-shower even if just a little bit. On the other hand, Rantaro was much too nervous to do that, much less on this specific night. He hugged a standing Shuichi from behind. It’s what his clingy self would usually do when he wanted to cuddle. He’s always loved doing that. Just holding someone in his arms and stroking their hair. However, as they lay down, both of them were having more and more trouble keeping calm. They could feel the pounding of each other’s hearts and the slightly higher than usual body temperature. In any other situation this would be comforting, but now there’s a certain expectation lingering in the air. Neither of them knew where to start so they lied there awkwardly for minutes just… waiting for something to happen.</p><p>Since he was the little spoon, Shuichi realized the onus to initiate was on him. He had to turn around to face Rantaro- and so, he did. Their eyes met. Their faces were red and tingly, and the speed of their heartbeats got even faster. They both felt like awkward little jesters fumbling their own thoughts. After dating for this long it felt very embarrassing that this was the level that they were at. </p><p>After a brief pause, one of them finally took action. Rantaro’s lips landed on Shuichi’s for just a moment. He hoped this somehow would get them somewhere.</p><p>“I’m… really sorry. I’m so bad at this- at talking about what I want. I’m sorry for making you wait…” said Shuichi in a hushed voice, looking down.</p><p>“N-no… I mean, don’t beat yourself up about it. After all, it’s also kinda my fault-”</p><p>Cutting off, Shuichi nudged Rantaro to make him lay on his back and began to straddle him.</p><p>“I hope this serves as a nice apology…”</p><p>Shuichi made his way down Rantaro’s body, and was now facing his waist. He just figured this was the right place to start. He pulled down Rantaro’s green plaid pajama pants to expose his already half hard dick. Shuichi had already seen it before, many times in fact. But never this up close. Rantaro couldn’t hide his embarrassment as Shuichi tried to remember for a brief moment what he was supposed to do. He wrapped his hand around it. A bit of spit fell from his mouth, and he moved his hand around to lubricate thoroughly. From then on, he jerked it up and down, feeling his lover’s breathing get faster, until he had built up the courage to put it in his mouth.</p><p>Rantaro's breath hitched. It was certainly a new experience. In truth, Shuichi barely knew what he was doing. What he did know was that he was probably doing a bad job. He was using his tongue as recommended, being careful not to choke while still trying to take as much of his length as he could, but he was unsure how well he was doing. Rantaro's reactions were a bit difficult for him to gauge like this. He still caressed Shuichi's head throughout, so it couldn't have been bad.</p><p>Shuichi pulled back one last time, hard cock still touching his tongue, and looked at Rantaro with a look he'd never seen before. It was a shy yet seductive look: eyelids relaxed and slightly apprehensive body language. Rantaro pulled Shuichi up from below him and laid him on his back. They were looking directly at each other now.</p><p>"I also owe you a bit of an apology… For making you wait and then having you do all the work..."</p><p>He then reached over to one of the night stands- he remembered seeing a small bottle of lube in there at some point. Lucky for him, it was still there in one of the drawers. After taking off Shuichi’s underwear, he poured a small amount of the bottle's contents onto his fingers and pressed against Shuichi’s opening. It went in rather easily, as he had prepared himself beforehand. He moved it around inside, feeling the roof of his canal- surely that’s where his sweet spot was. Shuichi reacted verbally. He’d done this many times before, but another person doing it felt very different. Then came finger number two. Shuichi was extremely nervous. So much so that Rantaro could feel his frantic heartbeat reverberating from the inside. Then finger number three. No difficulties once again. He took out his fingers and then poured lube on his hard dick. He stroked it to spread it around and braced himself.</p><p>“If it’s painful make sure to tell me… I don’t wanna hurt you.”</p><p>“Mhm,” Shuichi nodded along. Now there was no more dillydallying. It was finally going to happen, after more than a year of waiting patiently.</p><p>Rantaro gently pushed against his hole. After a few attempts, his tip managed to enter him. Shuichi let out a small gasp, and Rantaro stopped moving. “It’s okay,” said Shuichi, who was breathing heavily, “...you can keep going.”</p><p>...And so he did. He kept moving deeper and deeper inside. The sensation was like nothing he’d felt before. It was soft and wet, and the walls moved and tightened around him. He was feeling incredibly good, but what topped it off was seeing Shuichi’s face. “I’m glad you didn’t ask me to do you from behind…”</p><p>They both laughed at that, half out of nervousness and half because it was a ridiculously weird thing to say.</p><p>On the other hand, Shuichi was also very surprised by how it felt. It was by far the deepest something had gone in there. It was hitting his sweet spot, and despite a small bit of pain at the entrance, his own dick was still rock hard.</p><p>“You can start moving now…”</p><p>A slight smile rose to Rantaro’s face. He liked it when Shuichi said what he wanted, especially now that he was making such a cute face. He thrusted slowly at first then gradually sped up, making sure there was minimal pain. Shuichi wrapped his arms around Rantaro and kissed his lips passionately. They caressed each other throughout.</p><p>After a long while, they both climaxed, making big messes of each other. Shuichi was trembling slightly. They went into the bath to cool off and wash off their sweat.</p><p>From then on they held each other close and slept like that. They felt like they jumped a big hurdle, but most of all they were happy to be able to love each other.</p><p>Even through darkness and fog, through tears and insecurities… they had that velvet rope. It was what made them feel warmed and loved even through the coldest months, and from then on they could assure each other that nothing- not even distance- was going to make this rope tear.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apologies for writing inconsistencies and the like. I don't usually like publishing things but I made an exception for this. Sorry to my friends who decided they wanted to read this. You really didn't have to.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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